Director Catering & Event Services

About the role

The Director of Catering & Events provides strategic leadership for the catering and event operations at Wildflower Farms, a 140-acre retreat in the Hudson Valley. This role is responsible for driving banquet and catering revenue, overseeing event execution, ensuring exceptional guest experiences, and leading the Event Services team.

Core Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and strategic direction for the Event Services team at Wildflower Farms, with direct accountability for banquet and catering performance, including revenue, food and beverage contribution, forecasting accuracy, pace, and guest satisfaction.
• Recruit, onboard, mentor, coach, and evaluate Event Managers and Conference Services Managers while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and service excellence.
• Own banquet and catering revenue performance by developing strategies to maximize topline growth, profitability, and event conversion.
• Lead banquet and catering forecasting, budgeting, and business planning in partnership with Revenue Management, Finance, and Sales.
• Establish and uphold luxury event service standards to ensure exceptional execution and memorable guest experiences.
• Optimize event space utilization, pricing strategies, and business mix to align with overall commercial objectives.
• Partner closely with Sales, Culinary, Banquets, Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, and Operations to ensure seamless event execution from contract turnover through post-event billing.
• Participate in site inspections, client meetings, and sales presentations to support business development and strengthen client relationships.
• Monitor operational performance, identify opportunities for continuous improvement, and implement best practices that enhance efficiency, profitability, and guest satisfaction.
• Ensure compliance with Auberge Collection and Wildflower Farms standards, policies, and operational procedures.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in Catering, Conference Services, or Event Management within a luxury hotel or resort environment.
• Proven success driving banquet and catering revenue, forecasting, budgeting, and financial performance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams while fostering a culture of collaboration and service excellence.
• Strong operational knowledge of luxury catering, conference services, weddings, and social events.
• Experience partnering with Sales, Revenue Management, Culinary, Food & Beverage, and Hotel Operations to achieve business objectives.
• Proficiency in Delphi/Salesforce, Opera PMS, and Google Workspace.
• Exceptional communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills with a passion for delivering outstanding guest experiences.

Pay Range

$115,000/year - $125,000/year

About Auberge Collection

Auberge Collection is a portfolio of extraordinary hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs. While each property is unique, all share a crafted approach to luxury and bring the soul of the locale to life through captivating design, exceptional cuisine, innovative wellbeing, and gracious yet unobtrusive service. With 30 one-of-a-kind hotels, resorts, and residences, Auberge invites guests to create unforgettable stories in some of the world's most desirable destinations.

About Friedkin

Friedkin is a privately held family of global brands spanning automotive, entertainment, hospitality, investments, and sports. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company is led by Chief Executive Dan Friedkin, and united by a mission to build breakthrough brands that redefine the status quo. The Friedkin portfolio includes Gulf States Toyota, 30WEST, Accelerated Solutions Group, AS Roma, Ascent Automotive Group, Auberge Collection, Congaree, Copilot Capital, Diamond Creek, Everton Football Club, GSFSGroup, Imperative Entertainment, Legendary Expeditions, NEON, Northside Lexus, Pursuit Sports, The Friedkin Group International, USAL and Westside Lexus.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Shinrin Yoku LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V. Shinrin Yoku LLC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all team members and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Shinrin Yoku LLC complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.